Keyholder



Dec. 7, 1954 DYsART 2,696,101

KEYHOLDER Filed May 16. 1950 ATTORNEY United States Patent KEYHOIZDERNorman A. Dysart, Amarillo, Tex;

ApplicatiomMayzM,;1950,:Serial No. 162,189

.8 .Cltrims. ,(Cl. 70-456) Z'I'his invention relates.to keyholders andmore particulai'ly. keyholders. of :the pocket .type, :inwhich 2 a.plurality ofkeyszare; supported in a-sucha manner, .as to render themeasily'identifiable, and. accessible, and-in which the keys maybereadilyplaced in, position-for use, bythe operator.

.Wliilekeyholders .of a. large. variety-of types areravailable,.theyaregenerally. ditficultto handle, bulky, .andcomplicated.to..manipulate,;.part.icu1ar1y.where only one hand isavailable.

".lThe primaryobject of. my invention is to producea simple,..compactkeyholder, l in which individual keys can be readily identified,and selectedwhentrequired.

Afurjtherobjectis. to produce a key-holder, in-whichthekeys.arellalched.in.place, .in such amanner that-they can be readily,individually.released,-and-placed inposition for ready insertiontby.the.operator.

A furtherobject is to .produee.a-keyholder, in which. the outeraplatesare. madeof attransparent plastic. material, so that the.individualkkeys .are readily. identifiable, provision being made}forindentations .or,. markings on the. plates, so that the. individualkeys. can. be similarly identified. by the sense of touch, in the dark.

.Another object is...to,.provide.- simple,v compactlatch, or retainer,for .eachindividualkey the latch. being. adapted to rapidly releasethe..corresponding key, when selected by the. operator. While the.otherkeys. rernaintin theholder.

A primary. Objectisjtoproduce asirnple, compact keyholder, which willretain a numberof keys.in .a. relatively small space;'the keyholderbeing ,producedtat relatively low cost,using simpleparts which canbe;pro.duee.d.without elaborate "tools, the unit beingof. simple,construction, .50 thatit'cambe readily manipulated by personswithoutspe.

cial skills, and which will'function oversustained periods, withoutspecial attention, or complicated adjustments.

"The accompanyingdraw-ings, illustrative of one embodiment of myinvention, togetherwith. the description .of. its construction and the'methodof' utilization and operation thereof, will serve toclarifyiurther objects and advantages ofmy' invention.

In the drawings:

*Fig' lrepresents'a plan view of the'-assembled"key- I55 holder.

1 ig.'-'2'is:a side elevation of the keyholderof-Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section through the platesand'thekeyretaininglatchJtz'tkeir'at 3- 3iFig. 1.

:FigrS is a:plan' view of 'oneembodiment'of theouter plate, rof:thekeyhol'der-ofFigure 1, 'showing some of the key:=indentations,-':ormarkings.

r-Fig. 6 is arplan 'view -ofa'plate, similar to" Fig. '5, showinganother:setrof key" identification markings.

:Fig. 7 :is:a:;section .through'the plates-and: the screw connectingthem, taken'at 7--7,"lig.'2.

@It will be.understoodvithatithe following description-ofthez-constructionrcandr operation of; the keyholder, "is intendednasexplanatory.ofitheinvention, and not restrictive thereof.

In: the::drawings,;the: same reference numerals designate the;sarnenpartsrthroughoutthe :various' views.

.Qnerembodiment-"of .thes'keyholder, 'shownm'n Figs. 1,

and 22,; comprises. a'zcentral :platef10, made of'metal, or a plastic:vmateriahriof"substantially oval contour,- to which may: be:;spacedlyzattachedtwo or more outer side plates llaa-nd ll2; madec'of Lucite,or;otherrsuitable transparent,

or.:translucenteplastic rmaterial. Theside plates may beremovablyiattaeheditoithe centraliplate by' apair of :screws 14 and 15,or other suitablesattaching means,-.mounted near the. endsof.thegplates, .the screws being-inserted either .throughithe: side.plates and. threadably inserted. in the central plateaor-eachscrew may.be fitted-through an opening. formedrini one side plate andthe centralplate,

. andthreadablydnserted in;.the opposite side plate.

The-.-screws 14 and; 1=5--.serve: to connect-the plates, and also act aspivot mountings .for the keys 16' and 17, inserted in the-gap betweenthe plates on each side, eachsc-rew fitting through-an opening formedin:the headtof thecorresponding. key. A-shaped spacer 18, made ofa; plasticmaterial, formed metal, ,orother suitable material, may. be attached to:each faceof'sthe. central-.plate,-.by means of .a plurality of. rivets.20, ortby gluing, soldering, .or. other suitable attaching means, thespacers forming the. gap between .t the side plates and theeentral;plate, in sucha manner vas to-clear the facesof-the keys. The spacersalso divide the gap between the plates; into two separate compartments,as indicated inFig. 1,. each spacer limiting the angular move- 20 mentofeach. of -the. keys,..about the. corresponding, pivot screw,whenthekey is located in'theiinner position, shown in the uppersection,Fig. 1.

A formed torsion spring 21, or other suitable form of springpmade offinewwire, or othersuitable material, may be .inserted"in the,.-gapbetweeneach set of' plates, .ad- ;jacent. the. key pivot; point, one end22, of the spring, be-

ing attached to.-:the'.central plateby means of. a clip 23, attachedato,'or formedintegral with .the plate, with the opposite or free :end, ofvsubstantiallyficircular contour, fitting around the head. of. .the:corresponding key,.the opiposite'extremityr25, of each .spring,:engagingthe sideof the.shank-.of..'the..key, thus pressing thekey outward:tothe..position, vvshown .by the.-.lower .key 17,..Fig. 1, .when the.grippingrnechanismis released. A fulcrum connec- ..35tion.o1..clip;26,.:may.'be: attached-to or formed integral tion. tontheplate. axis, the aXis .of the. latch being. SUbStH-De tially,perpendicular-tome. axis .ofthe. shank of thekey in theinner position.

'A narrow tongueddmaybejformed integral With..the

. body ofieachlatch, arrouter. .bent tip .or. retainer. integral withthe outerv end ofeachofsaid tongues .forming..an acute angle-withthe-tongue proper, to form .a. grip or retainer'31,which engages "theside or edge of the shank of the key, to retain .thekey i-in.the..inner,.position,..shown-in r the upper portion of'Eig. 1, when=thelatch is in the normal position,'the key. retainerandteethlbeing shownintthe section, Fig. 3. "The tongue may be fitted through an;

openingformedin .the.plate, of .a width slightly greater than the-widthofthe'tongue, to provide free movement 6 of thetongue,andthqgripping'end thereof. A plurality of' V slotsmayrbecutthrough the tipof the retainer, to form a series.of relativelysharp;pointed teeth 32 at .the end of the retainer, or aseries ofserrations, or other form of gripping elements-may beformed at'thefreeend ofthe retainer, the pointed teeth engaging the surface.of the#shanko'f the key or the outer-edge of. the shank, to retain thekey'inl'the inner position, against the pressure of the torsion spring.

A latch may be-ma'de of thin sheet steel, or aluminum or other suitablemateriaL'of spring temper, to provide the necessary flexibility.

'The'body' 33', of"the latch, 'rnay'be madeof arcuate cross-section, asindicated in Fig. 3, so that when the upper surface'ofithe'bo'dy' ispressed downward, 'the tongue 5 30is= raised about the junction'pointbetween the body and the tonguegthe-gripping end' being raised out ofengagement' with the :shank of-rthe key,'to"the position shownby'dot-dash lines,'Fig. '3, thus releas'ingthe shank of the key and;allowingi'itttoaassurne the" free position, shown at the bottom ofFigal.

A ledge' 3'4 may 'be' attached'tog 01* formedintegral with the uppersurface of the plate, adjacent the rear edge of the body of the latch,to retain the latch body Within the depression, a pair of similarlyformed ledges 35 being located at the forward edge of the latch body, toretain the forward end of the latch body.

In inserting a key 16 into the holder, one of the screws 14 or 15, maybe removed, the key being inserted into a gap between the plates. Thescrew is then inserted into the opening in the head of the key, andthreadably inserted in the opposite plate, or the central plate,depending upon the type of screw used. The key may then be rotated aboutthe pivot screw, until the grip of the latch, engages the side, or edge,of the key shank, thus retaining the key in the inner position, shown atthe top of Fig. 1.

When the body of the latch is pressed inward, the gripping end of thetongue is released, thus allowing the torsion spring to rotate the keyinto the position, shown at the bottom of Fig. 1, in position for readyinsertion into a keyhole.

The individual keys may be readily selected and identified through thetransparent outer side plates 11 and 12.

In order to identify individual keys in the dark, or under conditions,in which they are not readily visible when mounted in the keyholder, aseries of identifying indentations or serrations 36 and 37, may beformed in the outer surface of each of the outer plates, adjacent theends thereof.

The indentations may take the form of a series of concentric circularlines 36, as indicated in Fig. 5, or a series of diagonal grooves may beformed in the plate, thus forming the diagonal serrations 37, shown inFig. 5.

The indentations or serrations may also take the form of a series ofridges 38, formed perpendicular to the axis of the plate, or anotherseries of ridges 39, formed substantially parallel to the plate axis, asindicated in Fig. 6, or the indentations or serrations may be located invarious angular positions with relation to the plate axis, dependingupon the number of keys supported in a particular holder, manufacturingfacility, and the desired appearance.

The size and outer contour of the plates may be varied to suit a widevariety of types and sizes of keys.

The spacing of the outer plates, with relation to the central plate, maybe varied to accommodate keys of various thicknesses and forms.

The plate attaching screws may be inserted through one outer plate, andthreadably fitted to the opposite plate, or they may be inserted througheach outer plate and threadably attached to the central plate.

The spacer between the plates may be made of a plastic material, andattached to the central plate by a plurality of rivets, or othersuitable attaching means, or they may be made of metal, which is welded,soldered, brazed, or otherwise attached to the central plate.

The spacers may also be attached to the outer plate by riveting, heatsealing, or other suitable attaching means, or they may be moldedintegrally with each of the outer lates.

p The form, contour and angular position of the latch may be variedconsiderably, depending upon the size and location of the keys to beaccommodated in a particular holder.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that my presentinvention is not limited to the specific details described above andshown in the drawings, and that various further modifications arepossible in carrying out the features of the invention without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of transparent outerplates mounted on opposite sides of said central plate, means separatingthe outer plates from the central plate to form gaps therebetween, apair of screws removably attaching the outer plates to the centralplate, each of said screws being adapted to pivotally support the headof a key, fitted between each pair of plates, a plurality of latchesmade of a spring material mounted on each outer plate, each of saidlatches comprising a body, a tongue integral with said body, and akey-gripping element at one end of said tongue, said tongue and grippingelement extending through a slot in the plate on which the latch ismounted, the body of said latch being arcuate in cross-section, saidlatch body releasing the tongue and gripping element from the key shank,when the latch body is manually pressed inward, and a coiled torsionspring adapted to press the shank of each key out of the keyholder whenthe corresponding latch is released.

2. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer platesmounted on opposite sides of said central plate, means separating theouter plates from the central plate to form gaps therebetween, a pair ofcylindrical elements threadably fitted to one of said outer plates,removably connecting the plates, each of said cylindrical elements beingadapted to pivotally support the head of a key fitted between each pairof plates, a plurality of latches made of a spring material mounted oneach outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body, a tongueintegral with said body, and a key-gripping element at one end of saidtongue, said tongue and key-gripping element extending through a slot inthe plate, on which the latch is mounted, the body of said latch beingarcuate in cross-section, said latch body releasing the tongue andgripping element from the adjacent key shank, when the latch body ismanually pressed inward, and spring means pivotally moving the shank ofeach key out of the holder, when said gripping element is released.

3. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates, madeof a transparent material mounted on opposite sides of said centralplate, a separator attached to each side of said central plate, tospacedly locate the outer plates, a pair of screws threadably fitted toone of said outer plates, removably connecting the plates, each of saidscrews being adapted to pivotally support the head of a key rotatablyfitted between each pair of plates, a plurality of latches made of aspring material, mounted on each outer plate, each of said latchescomprising a body, a tongue integral with said body, and a key-grippingelement at one end of said tongue, said tongue and gripping elementextending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, thebody of said latch being arcuate in cross-section, said latch body beingadapted to release the tongue and the key-gripping element from theshank of the key, when the latch body is manually pressed inward.

4. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates, madeof transparent material, mounted on opposite sides of said centralplate, a separator attached to each side of said central plate tospacedly locate the outer plates, a pair of screws removably attachingthe outer plates to the central plate, each of said screws being adaptedto pivotally support the head of a key between each pair of plates, eachof said outer plates having a plurality of depressions therein, a latchmounted adjacent each of said outer plate depressions, each of saidlatches comprising a body which is arcuate in cross-section, a tongueintegral with said body, and an integral keygripping element located atthe outer end of said tongue, the tongue and key-gripping elementextending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, thelatch body being operative to manually release the tongue and thekey-gripping element from the key shank when the latch body is pressedinward, and a coiled torsion spring adapted to press the shank of theadjacent key out of the key holder, when the tongue and the key-grippingelement are released.

5. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer platesmounted on opposite sides of said central plate, means separating theouter plates from the central plate to form gaps therebetween, a pair ofscrews removably attaching the outer plates to the central plate, eachof said screws being adapted to fit through an openmg in the head of akey to pivotally support the head of a key located between each pair ofplates, each of said outer plates having a plurality of depressions inthe outer surface thereof, a latch mounted in alignment with eachdepression in each outer plate, each of said latches comprising a bodyfitted adjacent the depression in the plate on which the latch ismounted, a tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping element atthe outer end of said tongue, said key-gripping element having aplurality of teeth formed therein, said tongue and gripping elementextending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, thebody of said latch being arcuate in cross-section, each of said latchesbeing angularly located relative to the longitudinal holder axis, thelongitudinal axis of each latch being substantially perpendicular to theshank of the adjacent key, when the ey is mounted within the key holder,said latch body 5 being adapted to release the tongue and thekey-gripping element from the adjacent key shank, when the latch body ismanually pressed inward, a torsion spring mounted adjacent each of saidscrews, between each pair of plates, means attaching one end of saidspring to the central plate, the opposite end of said spring beingadapted to engage the adjacent key, to angularly move the shank of thekey out of the key holder, when the key-gripping element of the latch isreleased.

6. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates, ofoval contour, made of a transparent plastic material, mounted onopposite sides of said central plate, a separator attached to each sideof said central plate, to spacedly locate the outer plates, a pair ofscrews threadably fitted to one of said outer plates, removablyconnecting the plates, each of said screws being adapted to pivotallysupport the head of a key located between each pair of plates, aplurality of latches, made of a spring material, mounted on each outerplate, each of said latches comprising a body, a tongue integral withsaid body, and a key-gripping element at the outer end of said tongue,said tongue and key-gripping element extending through a slot in theplate on which the latch is mounted, the body of each of said latchesbeing arcuate in cross-section, each of said latches being angularlylocated relative to the longitudinal key holder axis, the longitudinalaxis of each of said latches being substantially perpendicular to theshank of the adjacent key fitted to the keyholder, said latch body beingadapted to release the tongue and the key-gripping element from thecorresponding key shank, when the latch body is manually pressed inward,a torsion spring mounted adjacent each screw, between each pair ofplates, means-attaching one end of said spring to the central plate, theopposite end of said spring being adapted to engage the adjacent key, topivotally move the shank of the key out of the key holder, when thegripping element of the latch is released.

7. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer platesmounted on opposite sides of said central plate, a separator attached toeach side of the central plate, to spacedly locate the outer platesrelative to the central plate, said separators being adapted to limitthe movement of keys fitted between the plates, a pair of cylindricalelements fitted to one of said outer plates, removably connecting theplates, each of said cylindrical elements being adapted to pivotallysupport the head of a key located between each pair of plates, each ofsaid outer plates having a plurality of depressions in the outer surfacethereof, a plurality of latches, made of a spring material, mounted oneach outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body, located inalignment with the adjacent depression in the plate on which the latchis mounted, a tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping elementat the outer end of said tongue, said tongue and key gripping elementextending through a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, thebody of each of said latches being arcuate in cross-section, thelongitudinal axis of each of said latches being substantiallyperpendicular to the shank of the adjacent key, said latch being adaptedto release the tongue and the key-gripping element from the adjacent keyshank, when the latch body is manually pressed toward the plate on whichthe latch is mounted, and a torsion spring mounted adjacent eachcylindrical element, between each pair of plates, means attaching oneend of said spring to the central plate, the opposite end of each ofsaid springs being adapted to engage the adjacent key to rotatably movethe shank of the key out of the keyholder, when the gripping element ofthe latch is released.

8. A keyholder comprising a central plate, a pair of outer plates, madeof a transparent plastic material, mounted on opposite sides of saidcentral plate, a separator attached to each side of said central plate,to spacedly locate the outer plates relative to the central plate, apair of screws, threadably fitted to one of said outer plates, removablyconnecting the plates, each of said screws being adapted to pivotallysupport the head of a key located between each pair of plates, each ofsaid outer plates having a plurality of depressions in the outer surfacethereof, a plurality of latches, made of a spring material, mounted oneach outer plate, each of said latches comprising a body, fitted to theadjacent depression in the plate on which the latch is mounted, a

tongue integral with said body, and a key-gripping element extendingthrough a slot in the plate on which the latch is mounted, the body ofeach of said latches being arcuate in cross-section, the longitudinalaxis of each of said latches being angularly located relative to thelongitudinal keyholder axis, the longitudinal latch axis beingsubstantially perpendicular to the shank of the adjacent key, when thekey is mounted within the key holder, said latch body being adapted torelease the tongue and the key-gripping element from the adjacent keyshank when the latch body is manually pressed inward toward the plate onwhich the latch is mounted, a torsion spring mounted adjacent eachscrew, between each pair of plates, means attaching one end of saidspring to the. central plate, the opposite end of said spring beingadapted to engage the adjacent key to angularly move the shank of thekey out of the keyholder, when the gripping element of the latch isreleased.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,493,689 Marcus May 13, 1924 1,903,372 Copell Apr. 4, 19331,974,558 Andis Sept. 25, 1934 1,981,984 Bennett Nov. 27, 1934 1,998,799Woina et al. Apr. 23, 1935 2,291,896 Henderson Aug. 4, 1942 2,306,970MacPherson et al. Dec. 29, 1942 2,387,319 Evans Oct. 23, 1945 2,467,614Duyn Apr. 19, 1949 2,472,337 Olson June 7, 1949 2,517,500 McPherson etal. Aug. 1, 1950

